


Slumber Party

by eerian_sadow



Series: Galentine's Exchange [1]
Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon, challenge: Galentine's day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-12-03 06:39:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/695327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eerian_sadow/pseuds/eerian_sadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Selphie is planning the perfect surprise party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slumber Party

**Author's Note:**

> contains hints of some Quistis/Xu, but nothing obvious or concrete. Many thanks to my brother for giving it a beta treatment.

To: [](http://kalloway.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**kalloway**](http://kalloway.dreamwidth.org/)  
From: [](http://eerian-sadow.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**eerian_sadow**](http://eerian-sadow.dreamwidth.org/)

Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII  
Warning: no standard warnings apply  
Notes: contains hints of some Quistis/Xu, but nothing obvious or concrete. Many thanks to my brother for giving it a beta treatment.  
Summary: Selphie is planning the perfect surprise party.

Selphie jotted notes down onto her Secret Party Planning Notepad as she worked out the details for the surprise party. It wasn't going to be anything big--that wouldn't be appreciated in the least--but it would be thoughtful and fun. A few balloons, some streamers, pillows and sleeping bags, terrible movies and some of that whisky Irvine _thought_ he'd hidden in his quarters. (He wouldn't mind. It was for a Good Cause.)

The hardest part was going to be getting the guest of honor to the slumber party without her finding out what was going on.

"You know," Rinoa said, peering over the smaller girl's shoulder, you can get most of that in Deling with no trouble. Want me to pick it up?"

"Would you?" Selphie turned and gave her a smile. "It'll be much easier to keep secret I don't have to sign in and out to go into town."

"No problem!" The Sorceress grinned just as brightly. "And I'll stop in Esthar to get some of those candies she likes, too."

"Ohhh! And those pastries from Trabia!"

"And the foamy punch Ma Dincht makes!"

Both girls bounced with excitement before Selphie proclaimed, "This is going to be the best surprise party _ever_."

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"You know," Quistis said softly, leaning across the table to grab Selphie's hand, "I can tell you're plotting something."

"Yep." Selphie grinned, deciding the best subterfuge would be admitting there really was something going on.

"It better not be trouble. It took _days_ to get my classes settled back down after the hair dye incident." The blond woman frowned.

"No, nothing like that." The smaller girl shook her head quickly. "That wasn't even supposed to happen that way! We didn't mean to dye your hair purple."

"I'm not convinced." Quistis gave her a flat stare.

"I'm sorry! The dye was supposed to go in your laundry soap, not your shampoo! That was all Irvine's idea." Selphie pouted.

"And that is why I cut off his ponytail during training."

"He still sulks about that, you know."

"But he also don't prank me anymore." The head instructor released her friend's hand and leaned back in her chair, expression smug. "So, what are you up to?"

"Can't tell you. Top secret information available to those with only the most special clearance."

"None of your sass, young lady!"

Selphie stuck her tongue out impishly, then grinned. "I really can't say. But I promise it'll be fun."

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Rinoa was hanging the last of the streamers when Selphie entered her quarters.

The bred head looked at the decorations, and was pleased with what the Sorceress had done while she was teaching. There was glitter spread over the floor, swirled in random patterns and covered with huge, fluffy sleeping bags. The refreshment table (really Selphie's rarely used desk) was draped in a cloth that matched the glitter and had balloons taped to the corners. A few other balloons floated on the ceiling, between careful drapes of contrasting ribbon.

"What do you think?" Rinoa asked.

"It's perfect. Where did you hide the projector?"

"Under the desk. We can just slide it out when we're ready." The older girl stepped down from her ladder. "Zell helped me set it up and get everything at the right angles."

"Perfect!" Selphie beamed. "Now we just need the punch, the party guests and the guest of honor."

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Ma Dincht delivered the foamy punch under the guise of bringing hot dogs to Zell, and tucked a small gift into the birthday girl's sleeping bag. She helped Selphie and Rinoa set out the rest of the food and left them all their own batch of hot dogs (far more than five girls would need) before heading off to visit her son.

Xu brought gifts gathered from several other SeeDs and staff members. Those gifts were also piled in the the birthday girl's sleeping bag. Then Xu dragged her sleeping bag closer to the door, so that she could slip out without bothering the others if Squall needed her.

Ellone hadn't shown up yet, when Edea led the birthday girl into the room. Selphie put on her best party grin instead of worrying.

"Surprise!" Everyone shouted as Quistis' eyes went wide.

"Happy birthday!" Rinoa added, running up to hug the blond.

"Is this what you were planning?" Quistis asked, still clearly a bit stunned as she turned to Selphie.

"Yep." The red head beamed.

"Thank you. All of you." For a moment, the head instructor of Balamb Garden looked ready to cry.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"Selphie, this movie is awful!" Xu moaned. "How did you even find something this bad?"

"I got it from Laguna." The red head giggled. "He said it was the worst thing he'd ever seen."

"Yes," Edea said from her comfortable seat on Selphie's bunk. "It is just as bad now as it was twenty years ago."

"You mean you've actually seen this... disaster?" Quistis asked.

"Once." The elder Sorceress didn't elaborate further.

The girls turned back to the screen, too horrified by how bad the film truly was to turn away for too long. Sometimes they threw popcorn at the screen, at the absolute worst parts, and Selphie broke out the whisky when the villain started singing for no discernible reason.

The end credits were rolling when Selphie's door opened again.

"Sis, you're here!" Selphie jumped up and flew into Ellone's arms, hugging her tightly. "We were afraid you wouldn't make it after all."

"What and miss the first birthday party Quisty's had in years? Not a chance. Our train broke down outside Timber." Ellone extracted herself from Selphie's bear hug and offered one arm to Quistis. "Happy birthday, Quisty."

"Thanks, Sis." The blond stood up and hugged their adopted sister.

"Now that everyone's here, you should open presents!" Selphie released Ellone and bounced over to the pile of brightly wrapped boxes. "And then we can do cake!"

"Cake first!" Quistis and Ellone said in unison. Then both of them broke out in giggles.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"This one's from Laguna!" Selphie held out a modestly sized box wrapped in iridescent paper.

"I'm almost afraid to look," Quistis quipped as she took the package. She opened the paper carefully to reveal a plain white garment box. She opened the box to reveal a tissue wrapped parcel and small card. The head instructor pulled out the card, opening it as carefully as she had the wrapping. "Everyone needs something non-regulation. Don't be a stranger, love Laguna, Kiros and Ward."

"Well, what is it?" Xu asked.

Quistis pulled back the paper and blushed. "Oh my."

"What?" Selphie peeked over the back of the box. "Oh wow. That's a great corset!"

The blond blushed more fiercely and closed the box. "I don't think it's my style."

"Aww, I want to see it on you!" Selphie pouted.

Xu leaned over and whispered something in Quistis' ear that made her blush even more deeply.

"Let's set that one aside," Ellone said, taking the box out of Quistis' hands. "And I will have A Talk with Uncle Laguna about appropriate birthday gifts after I get home."

"Here," Rinoa said, shoving a heavier box into the head instructor's hands. This one is from me. No lingerie, I promise."

Quistis gave her a relieved smile and opened the box. Inside was a plain looking, brown photo album. She lifted it out carefully and opened the front cover. Rinoa smiled up at her from the front page, with Angelo under one arm and a fruity drink in her free hand.

The blond woman turned the page with a smile, embarrassed blush fading from her cheeks. Each page she turned was filled with pictures of her friends and her orphanage family. They had all come from different sources and different quality cameras, but each image was full of love or happiness. Quistis was almost disappointed when she turned the last page and was confronted by plain paper.

"Did you run out of pictures?" She asked.

"No." Rinoa beamed at her. "I left room for more memories."


End file.
